There is deep irony in the political and ethical contretemps surrounding Aimee Kotek Wilson and her wife, Gov. Tina Kotek, as they consider creating a state-funded “Office of the First Spouse.”

This governor, more than anyone else, should remember the dangers inherent in promoting one’s spouse into a public position of political influence. 

On Feb. 12, 2015, Oregon House Speaker Kotek and Senate President Peter Courtney ceremonially walked from opposite ends of the State Capitol and met at the Governor’s Office. Once there, they told John Kitzhaber it was time to resign. Kitzhaber had been re-elected that November to an unprecedented fourth term, was inaugurated in January and by February was under state and federal investigation.

Kitzhaber quit the next day, felled by the ethics allegations engulfing him and first lady Cylvia Hayes, his fiancée. The media frenzy had gone undampened despite his January promise that Hayes would have no further role in his administration.

Lest anyone jump to conclusions, let me stress this: In no way am I implying Kotek should resign. As Tim Gleason, retired dean of journalism at the University of Oregon, said when we talked this week, the Kitzhaber-Hayes comparison to the current situation is both inevitable and unfair.

There are small comparisons, such as Hayes and Kotek Wilson both having offices in the Governor’s Office and both sometimes bringing their dogs to work. There are big comparisons, including the resulting public relations blunders and governor’s staff departing amid disputes over the first lady’s role.

The overriding difference is that first lady Kotek Wilson, unlike Hayes, does not appear accused of wrongly using a public position for personal financial gain. A complaint has been filed with the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, but it remains confidential while the initial investigation unfolds.

(It took years for the commission to resolve the allegations involving Kitzhaber and Hayes. He accepted a $20,000 civil penalty. Hayes was ordered to pay $50,000 but, after filing for bankruptcy, settled for $12,000.)

Kotek Wilson often has been by her wife’s side, though not often in the public eye. She participated in 27 of the visits Gov. Kotek made on the 36-county One Oregon Listening Tour. In addition, according to press secretary Elisabeth Shepard, “She has attended several behavioral health meetings over the course of the first year, she regularly attends weekly meetings that pertain to the governor’s schedule and travel, and she occasionally attends events on behalf of the Governor’s Office.” 

Fifteen months into the governor’s term, the first lady apparently wants a larger role, presumably with Kotek’s assent. But we don’t know much. The Governor’s Office let Kotek Wilson’s desire morph into a public relations snafu. As Gleason said in bit of understatement, “That hasn’t been handled well from a PR perspective. … 

“There needs to be as full disclosure as possible and an explanation as to what exactly is the role [of Kotek Wilson]. Are there funds being expended? We need to know exactly what those expenditures are.”

Instead, news dribbled out. Committing a basic blunder of crisis communications, both the governor and first lady have declined interviews.

“It appears to have become public only because of the three people that left the office, and sources were saying they left because of this issue. That’s when it became public and that was a mistake,” Gleason said.

On Friday, the Governor’s Office had announced Chief of Staff Andrea Cooper, a holdover from Gov. Kate Brown’s administration, was leaving.

Personnel changes are not unusual in politics. Brown went through several top aides, including chiefs of staff. 

But Friday’s press release seemed “damning with faint praise.” It also omitted the impending departures of two other key aides. Three-fourths of the governor’s brain trust was heading out the door, which journalists quickly connected to those staffers’ supposed concerns about Kotek Wilson’s expanding role.

Similar concerns had led to resignations, and at least one firing, on Kitzhaber’s team.

We then learned that Kotek Wilson was gaining additional staff help. She has had the services of scheduler Yasmin Solorio, who makes $6,693 a month. About 80% of Solorio’s work time is devoted to the first lady. On Monday, Meliah Masiba joined the Governor’s Office on six-month basis to work with Kotek Wilson and “to help explore the establishment of the office of the First Spouse, a program that has been established in many states.” Masiba, who is rotating over from the Department of Administrative Services, earns $11,984 a month.

With better timing and clearer explanations, Oregonians might be more accepting, even though, as I wrote in a Capital Chatter six years ago, “Until Hayes, no other Oregon first lady in recent memory had both an office and her own staff in the Governor’s Office.”

On Wednesday, I talked with Catherine Bolzendahl, a sociologist and head of Oregon State University’s School of Public Policy. She observed that competing values were at play.

Some Oregonians, she said, might be uncomfortable with a spouse being given too much “unearned” political influence, even though it is not unusual for an executive spouse to play a role. However, there are benefits to a political spouse feeling involved instead of alienated.

“If you have a spouse who is willing to be there to support that person and who isn’t unfairly or unduly getting financial compensation for that, because obviously that raises questions as well, it would potentially help that person do a better job – to feel that they could have more balance,” Bolzendahl said.

OSU political scientist Christopher Stout noted that Oregonians might seem hyper-vigilant because of our recent history, including last year’s scandal involving Secretary of State Shemia Fagan. The departures of key staff also suggest unhappiness within Kotek’s inner circle.

But on a national basis, Stout said, “I think it’s more common and it’s kind of become the expectation that the spouse has a larger role in politics.”

 

Friday, March 22, 10 a.m. – Governor’s Office sends four-paragraph press release announcing March 29 departure of Chief of Staff Andrea Cooper. Chris Warner, deputy chief of staff for public administration, will serve as acting chief of staff. 

News outlets follow up and report two additional departures: Special adviser Abby Tibbs is returning to work at OHSU as of March 31, and longtime Kotek aide Lindsey O’Brien, deputy chief of staff for public engagement, is going on an unspecified leave as of April 5.

4:11 p.m.: OPB, followed by other media, reports personality conflicts and disagreements over the role of first lady Aimee Kotek Wilson led to the three staff departures. 

Saturday, March 23, 6:05 p.m. — Willamette Week reports Kotek Wilson has attended governor’s staff meetings about behavioral health issues, and Meliah Masiba on Monday will join the Governor’s Office to work with Kotek Wilson.

Monday, March 25 – Oregon Capital Chronicle and other media report Kotek Wilson, with a state security detail, and Masiba will attend the National Governors Association First Spouses Retreat in Salt Lake City on Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning. Mary Rowinski, the state employee who manages the governor’s residence, Mahonia Hall, also will attend.

6:58 p.m. – Governor’s Office releases two-and-a-half page FAQ, “Preliminary exploration of the office of the First Spouse.” 

Tuesday, March 26 – Susan Myers, executive director of the Oregon Government Ethics Commission, tells the Oregon Capital Insider the agency has not been asked to provide guidance on Kotek Wilson’s role. Myers confirms that the agency, as first reported by Willamette Week, received a complaint regarding Kotek Wilson’s role, which the commission is in the preliminary stages of reviewing.

In response to questions from The Oregonian, the Governor’s Office issues a statement from first lady Kotek Wilson: “Oregonians in every part of the state struggle with mental health challenges and addiction. More recently, we have seen a growing number of individuals struggling with these issues become vocal about their lived experiences in order to help others. Far too often, individuals have remained silent about their experience because of shame, pain, and fear. And, that is why it is so important for me to do my part to reduce the stigma around addiction and mental health. I am a person who lives with mental illness, and who is also in recovery from an alcohol use disorder. To all individuals who are living with a mental illness, struggling with addiction, or are in recovery, I want you to know that you matter and should have hope. I share this information about myself now, and have in the past, in the hopes it will make a difference and reduce stigma.”